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Jimmy Powell
Mrs. Hope
Honors World Literature and Writer Workshop
9 November 2015
Religious Ceremony
For my religious ceremony I visited a Hindu temple with a few other students. Upon
arrival the first thing I noticed was the beautiful architecture. The building had a cement staircase
that led up to a large golden tower with intricate design and a tall wooden door. At the base of the
steps were elephant statues designed with an elaborate caparison. Since the building is still under
construction we had to go in through a side door.
As soon as we entered we were required to remove our shoes since we were in a place of
worship and shoes are considered dirty both physically and spiritually. We then proceeded up
another staircase to the main worship area. The worship area was a large room with a variety of
shrines to the many gods of Hinduism. One of the first things I noticed were large groups of
people paying tribute to the gods at the many shrines. However, there were also families
enjoying their time in the temple. Small children wandered around awestruck by the extravagant
shrines. I too was impressed by their detail and beauty. The more important, major gods such as
Shiva, Krishna, or Brahman had large shrines with steps that would allow a Hindu priest to walk
into this separate area for worship and rituals. Meanwhile, some of the smaller less significant
gods had shrines off to the side of the room that were much less elaborate.
After spending a time roaming around the room admiring the many shrines we took part
in two Hindu rituals. First, we waited in line for one of the Hindu religious leaders to put water
into our hands which we drank. The liquid was a mixture of water and multiple herbs. A very

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important part of Hinduism is giving a sacrifice to their gods whether this be in money or food.
Receiving the water is meant to represent the gods giving back and supplying nourishment for
you, as well as blessing you for the future.
The other ritual we took part in was called an Aarti. The Hindu Priest went inside one of
the shrines and began to chant in Hindi while holding a large candle and moving it in large
circles. He then brought the candle outside of the shrine and raised it towards every person in
line. When the candle reached me in line I hovered both hands over the flame and then placed
my hands above my head as instructed. This represents good luck and fortune, but to receive this
good luck one must remember that the gods and religion should be the center and main focus of
life. After completing the Aarti ritual we retrieved our shoes and exited the temple.
My experience at the Hindu temple varied greatly from what I know of Christianity at my
own church. The first thing that really stood out to me was how Hindus would go to worship at
the temple any time they pleased. They could just go for a couple of minutes or for a couple of
hours. This is unlike my church where there are set times for an hour long mass that should be
attended once a week. Although the Hindu religious leaders are an important part of the religion,
especially if one wants to participate in a ceremony such as an aarti, they are not necessary for
worship at the temple. Some of the people who go to the temple worship just by going and
paying tribute to the shrines. This allows for them to practice their religion more independently
without having to rely on religious leaders for worship. Another difference I found between a
Christian mass and a Hindu ceremony was the design of the place of worship. Catholic Churches
are commonly designed with stain glass windows, and usually have little or no jewels. The
Hindu shrines are decorated with lots of gold and jewels to pay tribute to their many gods. Also,
as a result of churches being used for a Mass they have many rows of seats called pews that face

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towards the alter. Hindu temples however are designed quite differently. Since they have many
gods and no consistent formal ceremony there are no seats or alter within the temple. Overall,
visiting a Hindu temple was a fascinating opportunity that I am glad I had the chance to
experience.